Modern door knocker

ABSTRACT

The hammer of a door knocker is biased outwardly from the mounting plate to facilitate the act of using the knocker.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,734,054

Anderson 1451 May 22, 1973 [54] MODERN DOOR KNOCKER [5 6] References Cit-ed [75] Inventor: William J. Anderson, Taylorsville, UNITED STATES PATENTS 0203,027 11/1965 Bourgeois ..8/117 [73] Assignee: Solar Hardware Corporation, 2,269,098 1/1942 Gamett ,.1l6/l69X Taylorsville, Mich, 2,523,158 9/1950 Starp ..116 172 2,715,243 8/1955 K611 ..16/126 [22] Flled: 1971 3,068,835 12/1962 Stewart ..116/148 [21] App]. No.: 205,897

Primary Examiner-Louis .1. Capo 2i 52 Us. 01 ..116/148, 116/172 Ammekmward Barb" 511 1111. (:1. ..G10k 1/34 58 Field 61 Search ..116/148, 169, 67, 1 ABSTRACT 116/172; 16/110, 1893 8/178 The hammer of a door knocker is biased outwardly 177 from the mounting plate to facilitate the act of using the knocker.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 1. MODERN DOOR KNOCKER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the use of a simple spring to bias the hammer of a door knocker to a position spaced outwardly from the mounting plate of the knocker.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door showing an embodiment of the invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section as seen at line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hammer of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an alternative form of the in vention;

FIG. 6 is a section as seen at line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section as seen at line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS The following disclosure is offered for public dissemination in return for the grant of a patent. Although it is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid understanding, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions or further improvements.

The door knocker of FIGS. 14 comprises a base plate, generally 10, and a hammer, generally 11. The hammer includes a shaft 12 which is mounted for pivotal movement in journals 13 of plate and defined by rearwardly projecting slots in the sides of the base plate. The shaft has an ear 14 projecting therefrom. The plate 10 has a stud 15 projecting therefrom and forming a rivet whose end is enlarged to form a head to hold spring plate 16 onto the base plate 10. Spring plate 16 serves three purposes. First, it holds the shaft 12 into the slots defining journals 13. Secondly, it serves as a leaf spring and presses against ear 14, as will be subsequently described. Thirdly, it is a part of the mounting for the door knocker.

To achieve this latter function, it has a rearwardly extending offset 19 which is formed by the rearward displacement of a portion of the plate 16. Offset 19 is connected to plate 16 at the top thereof, while the bottom (distal end) of the offset is free of the plate and spaced therefrom. A mount 20 is suitably affixed to door 21 by screws or nails not shown. This mount has a pair of spaced arms 22 that are likewise formed by being struck from the mount. At the two external sides these arms remain connected to the mount. The distal ends of the arms project towards each other and are spaced from the mount. The proximal ends of the arms are spaced apart a distance just slightly greater than the width of offset 19. Thus, after mount 20 is secured to the door 21, the offset 19 can be slipped behind the arms from above, thereby locking the upper part of base plate 10 to the door. The lower end of the base plate is thereafter secured to the door by a screw 23 which projects through an opening 24 in the base plate 10.

The ear 14 on shaft 12 is oriented with respect to the spring plate 16 so that, absent other factors, the spring plate 16 biases the hammer to a position such that the striking end 26 of the hammer is spaced from the base plate 10. This position is illustrated both in FIGS. 1 and 3. However, the spring plate 16 has sufficient resiliency so that a person can push against the hammer 11 and cause the striking end 26 to impact against the base plate; or one can raise the hammer 11 outwardly and by permitting it to drop create sufficient momentum so that the striker 26 will hit the base plate. This positioning of the hammer outwardly away from the base plate greatly facilitates the use of the door knocker. Absent the spring biasing, the hammer 1 1 would lay down flush against the base plate in the normal position. This makes it difficult, particularly when fumbling in the dark, for a person to get hold of the hammer so as to operate the door knocker to call the home owner to the door.

An alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. Here there is a base plate 30 and a hammer, generally 31. The base plate has an opening 32 adjacent the top thereof. A peep sight tube 23 may be inserted through this opening and have a nut (not shown) threaded thereon to hold the upper end of the base plate 30 to thedoor 21. The bottom end of the base plate is secured to the door by a screw 34 which extends through an opening 35 in the base plate.

Projecting rearwardly from the base plate are four studs 37. The hammer 31 has two stub shafts 38 and 39 which extend through slots 40 in the sides of the base plate 30 and extend between studs 37 so as to pivotally support the hammer from the base plate. Friction fit washers 41 are engaged onto studs 37 to prevent the stub shafts from moving out of their journals in the base plate.

Stub shaft 39 has a slot 43 in the end thereof. A coil spring 44 has an end 45 locked into the slot 43. The other end 46 of the spring bears against the back of the base plate 30 and against one of studs 37. Again, the arrangement is such that spring 44 resiliently biases the hammer 31 to a normal position at which the striking end 47 of the hammer is spaced outwardly from the base plate. A user can operate the hammer either by pressing the hammer rapidly toward the base plate or by raising it and permitting it to drop.

The hammer has an opening 49 in the striking end 47. This opening is of a diameter to receive a wooden match stick while permitting that match stick to be frictionally engaged therein. Thus, a piece of such a match stick (or another piece of wood) 50 can be inserted into this opening if desired and allowed to project a short distance from the rearwardly face of the striking end 47. The piece of wood so inserted acts to absorb some of the impact of the hammer 37 against the base plate thereby reducing the sound level. Thus, for a person who concludes that the door knocker is being too noisy, he can muffl'e the noise by inserting a piece of wood into opening 49.

I claim: i

1. In a door knocker comprising a base plate member adapted to be affixed to a door and .a hammer pivotally connected to the plate member, the improvement comprising:

said hammer having a generally horizontal shaft member, said plate member having journals rotatably supporting said shaft member for movement about a horizontal axis;

spring means operatively connecting the hammer and the plate member and resiliently biasing the ham- 3. In a door knocker as set forth in claim 2, wherein said plate member has slots at each side extending forwardly from the rear side thereof, said plate member forming said journals at said slots, said shaft member extending the full width of said plate member and, during assembly, being moved into said slots from the rear, and said leaf spring being rearwardly of said shaft member and holding said shaft member in said slots. 

1. In a door knocker comprising a base plate member adapted to be affixed to a door and a hammer pivotally connected to the plate member, the improvement comprising: said hammer having a generally horizontal shaft member, said plate member having journals rotatably supporting said shaft member for movement about a horizontal axis; spring means operatively connecting the hammer and the plate member and resiliently biasing the hammer to a normal position spaced from the plate member, whereby to operate the knocker one need only push the hammer toward the plate member from said position, said spring means including a leaf spring affixed to one member and bearing against a part of the other member.
 2. In a door knocker as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one member is said plate member, said shaft member having an ear eccentric to said axis and forming said part.
 3. In a door knocker as set forth in claim 2, wherein said plate member has slots at each side extending forwardly from the rear side thereof, said plate member forming said journals at said slots, said shaft member extending the full width of said plate member and, during assembly, being moved into said slots from the rear, and said leaf spring being rearwardly of said shaft member and holding said shaft member in said slots. 